U.S. patent application number 10/298380 was filed with the patent office on 2004-05-20 for fuel delivery check valve for automotive application.
This patent application is currently assigned to Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.. Invention is credited to Kempfer, Stephen T., Reising, Kevin C., Yu, DeQuan.
Application Number | 20040094131 10/298380 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32297433 |
Filed Date | 2004-05-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040094131 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yu, DeQuan ; et al. |
May 20, 2004 |
Fuel delivery check valve for automotive application
Abstract
A check valve assembly is disclosed for use in a returnless
automotive fuel delivery system. The fuel delivery system includes
a fuel tank having a fuel pump and a sender flange that provides
access into the fuel tank. The check valve assembly includes an
upper housing that is integral with an interior wall of the sender
flange, a lower housing connected to the upper housing and a check
valve body positioned between the upper housing and the lower
housing. The assembly may also include a pressure relief valve
positioned between the upper and lower housings and arranged
parallel to the check valve body.
Inventors: |
Yu, DeQuan; (Ann Arbor,
MI) ; Kempfer, Stephen T.; (Canton, MI) ;
Reising, Kevin C.; (West Bloomfield, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
VISTEON 29074
BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
P.O. BOX 10395
CHICAGO
IL
60611
US
|
Assignee: |
Visteon Global Technologies,
Inc.
|
Family ID: |
32297433 |
Appl. No.: |
10/298380 |
Filed: |
November 18, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
123/510 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F02M 37/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
123/510 |
International
Class: |
F02M 001/00 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A check valve assembly for use in a returnless automotive fuel
system having a fuel tank and a fuel pump positioned within the
fuel tank, a sender flange adapted to engage the fuel tank and
adapted to be removable to provide access therein; said check valve
assembly comprising: an upper housing integrated into an interior
wall of said sender flange; a lower housing connected to the upper
housing; and a check valve body positioned between said upper
housing and said lower housing.
2. The check valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said lower housing
includes an inlet adapted to receive hosing that contains fuel
traveling from the fuel pump.
3. The check valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said upper housing
includes an outlet adapted to receive hosing that contains fuel
traveling from said check valve body.
4. The check valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said lower housing
further includes a bleed port.
5. The check valve assembly of claim 1 wherein said upper housing
and said lower housing when connected define an interior
chamber.
6. The check valve assembly of claim 5 wherein the interior chamber
includes a first section and a second section.
7. The check valve assembly of claim 6 wherein said check valve
body is positioned within the interior chamber first section.
8. The check valve assembly of claim 7 further comprising a
parallel pressure relief valve positioned between said upper
housing and said lower housing.
9. The check valve assembly of claim 8 wherein said parallel
pressure relief valve is positioned within the interior chamber
second section.
10. A check valve assembly for use in a returnless automotive fuel
system including a fuel tank, said check valve assembly comprising:
a sender flange adapted to engage and provide access into the fuel
tank; a housing depending from an interior wall of said sender
flange, said housing defining an interior chamber having a first
section and a second section, said second section arranged parallel
to said first section; a check valve body positioned in said
interior chamber first section; and a pressure relief valve
positioned in said interior chamber second section.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] This invention relates generally to the automotive fuel
delivery field, and more specifically to an improved check valve
assembly in the automotive fuel delivery field.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] It is known to use fuel delivery check valves in automotive
fuel delivery systems. The check valve is designed to serve a dual
purpose. First, the valve maintains fuel in the fuel line when the
engine is off. Second, the valve prevents fuel from leaking out of
the fuel tank in the event the tank is over-turned.
[0005] Fuel delivery check valves are typically positioned within
the fuel tank between the fuel pump and the sender flange. In such
a design, there is hosing that runs between the fuel pump and the
check valve and from the check valve to the sender flange.
[0006] One disadvantage of the above design is that if the hosing
between the check valve and the sender flange ruptures, the
benefits of the check valve will be minimized. Therefore, it is
desirable to position the check valve as close as possible to the
fuel's exit path from the tank.
[0007] Another disadvantage of positioning the check valve further
away from the fuel's exit path is that it is expensive and complex
to incorporate a separate check valve component into the design of
an already complex fuel delivery system. In fact, these systems are
becoming even more complex due to the increasing use of mechanical
returnless fuel systems and electrical returnless fuel systems.
[0008] Thus, there is a need in the fuel delivery field to create a
less complex fuel delivery check valve that is positioned as close
as possible to the fuel's exit path from the fuel tank. This
invention provides such an improved fuel delivery check valve.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0009] The present invention addresses the needs outlined above by
providing an improved check valve assembly for use in a returnless
automotive fuel system. The fuel system includes a fuel tank having
a fuel pump positioned within the tank and a sender flange that
provides access into the fuel tank. The check valve assembly of the
present invention includes a check valve body and housing, where a
portion of the housing is integral with the sender flange of the
fuel tank.
[0010] More specifically, the check valve assembly includes an
upper housing, a lower housing and the check valve body positioned
between the upper housing and the lower housing. The upper housing
is integrated into an interior wall of the fuel tank sender flange.
Therefore, the check valve and the housing are positioned directly
adjacent the fuel's exit path from the fuel tank.
[0011] This design is advantageous because it requires fewer parts
and is therefore less complex than known fuel check valves.
Further, the more simplified design results in a lower cost to
manufacture and assemble the component.
[0012] These and other aspects and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed
description of the invention in combination with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a partial cut-away view of the present invention
in a fuel tank; and
[0014] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of
the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a check valve assembly 21 of the present
invention positioned within a fuel tank 20 in an automotive vehicle
(not shown) having a returnless fuel delivery system. The fuel tank
20 contains the fuel 24 used to power the engine of the vehicle.
Positioned within the fuel tank 20 is a fuel pump 26 that pumps the
fuel 24 through the fuel line 28 from the tank 20 and ultimately to
the fuel rail (not shown). A sender flange 32 provides access into
the fuel tank 20.
[0016] The check valve assembly 21 includes an upper housing 34, a
lower housing 36 connected to the upper housing 34 and a check
valve body 38 positioned between the upper housing 34 and the lower
housing 36. The upper housing 34 is integrated and extends inwardly
(relative to the fuel tank 20) from an interior wall 40 of the fuel
tank sender flange 32. The interior wall 40 of the sender flange 32
faces the interior of the fuel tank 20.
[0017] The sender flange 32 and the upper housing 34 may be either
unitary or integrated. If it is a unitary component, then they are
formed as one piece. If it is an integrated component, then they
are two separate components joined together.
[0018] The lower housing 36 includes an inlet 42 adapted to receive
hosing 44 from the fuel pump 26. Similarly, the upper housing 34
includes an outlet 46 adapted to receive hosing 48 that will
ultimately run to the fuel rail. These features are present whether
the fuel delivery system is a mechanical returnless fuel system or
an electronic returnless fuel system.
[0019] In the case of the electronic returnless fuel system, the
check valve assembly 21 further includes a pressure relief valve 50
arranged parallel to the check valve body 38 and is also referred
to as a parallel pressure relief valve ("PPRV"). The parallel
pressure relief valve 50 opens, when the pump and the engine are
off, to allow fuel flow from the fuel line to the output side of
the fuel pump 26 when the fuel line is overpressurized.
[0020] It is important to note that the housing 34, 36 is the same
whether only the check valve body 38 is present or the check valve
body 38 along with the parallel pressure relief valve 50 is
present. When the upper housing 34 and the lower housing 36 are
attached an interior chamber 52 is formed including a first section
54 and a second section 56. The first section 54 is adapted to
receive the check valve body 38. The second section 56 is adapted
to receive the parallel pressure relief valve 50.
[0021] In the case of the mechanical returnless fuel system,
illustrated in FIG. 2, when the parallel pressure relief valve 50
is not present, the second section 56 of the interior chamber 52 is
plugged off so that no fluid is allowed to flow into the second
chamber 56 of the housing 34, 36.
[0022] In another embodiment, a bleed port 58 is integrated into
the lower housing 36 adjacent to the inlet 42. The bleed port 58 is
necessary only when there is no fuel delivery module used in the
fuel delivery system.
[0023] As a person skilled in the art of fuel delivery systems will
recognize from the previous detailed description and from the
figures and claims, modifications and changes can be made to the
preferred embodiments of the invention without departing from the
scope of this invention defined in the following claims.
* * * * *